


All is Fair in Court and Dance-Offs

by ExecutiveNerd



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, The Royal Romance Book 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:07:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23059714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExecutiveNerd/pseuds/ExecutiveNerd
Summary: Riley has to deal with returning to court, clearing her name, and her ever-growing feelings for Maxwell.
Relationships: Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	All is Fair in Court and Dance-Offs

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another interpretation of Book 2. I just love these losers so much!

_ You will have to ensure your future behavior is impeccable.  _ Riley stood in the bathroom of her suite at the Beaumont Estate, Bertrand’s words running circles in her head as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. What more could she possibly do? She had spent the last couple of months doing everything that Bertrand and Maxwell had told her to do, had tried her best to become the noblewoman she was pretending to be, and for what? To marry a man she barely knew? “You will not let Bertrand get in your head,” She told herself, leaning heavily on the counter in front of her. She was too far in to back out now. 

A knock on her bedroom door brought her out of her head and she groaned, not wanting to deal with Bertrand. “If you are here to give me another lecture it can wait until morning,” She called as she made her way to the door, but when she opened it she was pleasantly surprised to see Maxwell standing there instead of Bertrand. 

“No lectures here, M’Lady,” Maxwell said with a huge grin. 

“Oh thank god. I don’t think I can take any more of Bertrand’s disappointed looks,” Riley said, motioning for him to come inside. 

“You get used to them,” Maxwell said moving into the room and casually plopping down onto her bed. It felt odd having him in there, just casually propped up on her bed, but she definitely didn’t hate it and she could definitely use the friend. 

“Oh I’m sure,” Riley said joining him on the bed, grabbing one of her pillows to hug to her chest. She absolutely could not wait for the neverending lectures and disappointed looks she would be getting over the next few weeks. “So what’s up?” 

“I was just coming to check on you,” Maxwell said, putting a comforting hand on her knee. “It’s been a crazy day.” 

Riley gave him a slight nod, hugging her pillow tighter and trying her best to not think about the hand on her knee. “I think that’s the understatement of the year.” 

“Yeah, I guess your right,” He said, giving her a small humorless chuckle. “It’s probably a dumb question, but how are you holding up?” 

“I am doing okay. All things considered,” Riley said, trying her best to not thinking about the events of the last few hours. How had it only been a few hours? The coronation felt like a lifetime ago. “I just don’t know what happened. One second I was preparing to be proposed to and the next I was at the center of a sex scandal.”

“Don’t worry, Bertrand and I will get you out of this mess and back into Liam’s arms in no time,” He said with his usual enthusiasm, but she swore it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She smiled at him softly but shook her head. “I appreciate it, but honestly I think I might be in over my head.” She had already been in over her head with the vying for a prince’s attention thing, but this...this was too much. 

“Well good thing you have me here because I am great at making sure your head stays in the cloud where it belongs,” He said grinning at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. He was great at saying exactly what she needed to hear. 

She dropped her pillow and moved to sit closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, trying her best to somehow express her gratitude for his help. “Thank you, Maxwell. For everything.

He stiffened some at her touch, but slowly wrapped his arm around her in return. “You don’t have to thank me for anything Riley.” 

“I do though,” She said, pulling back just enough to look at him. “I was sitting in that airport preparing to go back home to my studio apartment and grovel to my old boss for my job back, but instead I am still here, because of you.” 

“And Bertrand,” He added and she shot him a look. “But there is no way in hell I was letting you go back to that waitressing job. You belong here, with us.”  _ With you,  _ she thought but quickly dismissed it. She was just happy to have somebody comforting her, nothing more. “We’ll see if you even want to still be here after the few weeks that Bertrand has prepared for you though.”

“Neverending amounts of lectures and disappointed looks?”

“Neverending times two.” 

Riley groaned at the thought. “If it keeps me here than I guess it will be worth it.” 

“Totally, and I will be right here beside you the whole time,” He said smiling at her again, and she brought him back into a hug. 

“You’re the best,” She said, and while she wasn’t sure that she was ready for weeks of Bertrand’s court lessons; she was happy to be back with the Beaumonts and ready to clear her name. 


End file.
